Recent Podcasts
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A chef’s kiss for induction stoves - May 06, 2024 Yale Climate Connections - Energy |
| Stay in the know about climate impacts and solutions. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Yale Climate Connections For people who cook on a gas stove, it may be hard to imagine frying an egg or searing a steak without those familiar blue flames. But acclaimed chef Justin Lee says there’s an alternative worth considering: an electric induction stovetop. Lee: “There is a learning curve, without question, because there’s no visible fire … but it’s not something you should be afraid of.” Lee is co-owner of Fat Choy - a Chinese vegan restaurant in Englewood, New Jersey. He says he loves cooking with induction. Unlike conventional electric stoves, induction cooktops use electromagnetic energy to heat the metal in a pot or pan - providing quick, consistent heat at precisely the temperature you need. And Lee says it can provide even higher temperatures than gas, which can be useful for Chinese cooking. Lee: “We’re always searching ... |
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Startup mimics nature to produce zero-carbon cement - May 03, 2024 Yale Climate Connections - Ecosystems |
| Stay in the know about climate impacts and solutions. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Yale Climate Connections One day you may walk down a sidewalk made from algae. A startup called Prometheus Materials is working to make that a reality to reduce the climate impact of concrete. Concrete is made from cement. And the traditional process used to make that cement causes about 8% of global carbon emissions. Loren Burnett of Prometheus says making cement from algae does not emit any carbon pollution. Burnett: “We don’t mine heavy limestone. We’re not using fossil fuels to transport that heavy limestone to a cement plant. We’re not using fossil fuels to heat industrial kilns.” Instead, the company uses algae, water, nutrients, light, and air to produce calcium carbonate, a basic ingredient in cement. Burnett: “It’s the process whereby nature produces coral reefs and seashells.” They use that calcium carbonate ... |
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Mom fights air pollution in North Denver - May 02, 2024 Yale Climate Connections - Policy |
| Stay in the know about climate impacts and solutions. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Yale Climate Connections People who live in North Denver, Colorado, face multiple sources of air pollution. Oliver: “Families and young homeowners … live next to the refinery, the dog food plant, the recycling waste facility, as well as gas plants. … And there’s so many other industries that are also in this very same area that also contribute to a lot of heavy-duty truck pollution.” Shaina Oliver is an activist with Mom’s Clean Air Force. She says Denver has some of the highest levels of ground-level ozone in the country. It forms from the pollution emitted by tailpipes, smokestacks, and other industrial sources. And it can cause or worsen many health problems, including asthma. Oliver has suffered with asthma since she was a young girl. Now she worries about her son, who has it, too. She says leaders are not doing enough to regulate ... |
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Climate change threatens Africa’s rhinos - May 01, 2024 Yale Climate Connections - Ecosystems |
| Stay in the know about climate impacts and solutions. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Yale Climate Connections In the grasslands of sub-Saharan Africa, few animals are as instantly recognizable as the rhinoceros. But both black and white rhinos have been under intense pressure from poaching and habitat loss, which have pushed these species close to extinction. And a new study warns that rhinos now face another threat - climate change. National parks like Kruger in South Africa and Etosha in Namibia, home to some of the last rhinos in Africa, are expected to get hotter in coming decades. Randhir: “Rhinos need really unique conditions.” Timothy Randhir is one of the study’s authors. He says in addition to addressing poaching and habitat loss, wildlife managers need to take steps to protect rhinos from the heat. Randhir: “That has to be also a part of rhino restoration and rhino conservation.” He says wildlife ... |
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Former school gets new life as an energy-efficient shopping center - Apr 30, 2024 Yale Climate Connections - Energy |
| Stay in the know about climate impacts and solutions. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Yale Climate Connections In Colorado Springs, Colorado, an old, closed elementary school has been retrofitted with a new heating system and efficient LED lighting. Now called Lincoln Center, it’s home to a bakery, brewery, barber, coffee shop, and other businesses. Phillips: “The hallways … are where people sit to have coffee now. It’s just a really neat reuse of this property.” Tracy Phillips is with the Colorado Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy or C-PACE program, which helped finance the property’s retrofits. C-PACE programs, which exist in about 30 states, provide loans for the upfront cost of energy retrofits and improvements in commercial buildings - including retail spaces, apartment complexes, hospitals, and factories. Investing in energy efficiency can help building owners save money over time on their energy bills. But the ... |
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Alaska Native community experiments with growing food above the Arctic Circle - Apr 29, 2024 Yale Climate Connections - Agriculture |
| Stay in the know about climate impacts and solutions. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Yale Climate Connections Above the Arctic Circle, in Kotzebue, Alaska, college students and community members are growing greens, potatoes, and beans in campus gardens. Naylor: “I think it’s very important that we can grow our own.” Minnie Naylor is director of the University of Alaska Fairbanks Chukchi campus. She says homegrown vegetables can help supplement traditional Native foods. Naylor: “We have bearded seal, caribou. We have a lot of fish, sea fish, trout, birds, ducks, geese.” But many of those foods are becoming more difficult to access. The growth of the commercial fishing industry, restrictive hunting regulations, and other pressures have interfered with subsistence hunting and fishing. And climate change brings new problems. Melting sea ice makes it harder to hunt seal. And warming waters are shifting where fish species can thrive. |
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Some anglers say Rhode Island’s Block Island wind farm has improved fishing - Apr 26, 2024 Yale Climate Connections - Energy |
| Stay in the know about climate impacts and solutions. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Yale Climate Connections Off the coast of Rhode Island, anglers fish for striped bass, fluke, and mahi-mahi. Smythe: “Recreational angling is a prominent, very important use of our coastal waters. It is an economically, socially, culturally important activity.” So Tiffany Smythe of the United States Coast Guard Academy says it’s important to know how anglers feel about fishing near offshore wind turbines. Her team surveyed about 200 recreational anglers about the Block Island Wind Farm - the nation’s first offshore wind farm. Smythe: “We found, overall, a neutral to positive effect of this wind farm project on recreational angling.” She says many of those surveyed believe the turbines improve fishing. Respondents say the bases of the turbines attract fish, like artificial reefs. But some express concerns about this or future wind projects - ... |
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'Just do it!’ Wisconsin couple built a net-zero home - Apr 25, 2024 Yale Climate Connections - Energy |
| Stay in the know about climate impacts and solutions. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Yale Climate Connections A few years ago, Jacqueline Freidel and her husband built their new home near Madison, Wisconsin, complete with four bedrooms and an open-concept floor plan. But the couple’s house has a hidden feature - it runs entirely on electricity and is net-zero, meaning it produces just as much energy as it uses every year. Freidel: “If you were walking by and didn’t know anything about the house, you might not even guess that it is net-zero energy and all-electric.” Freidel is an energy efficiency consultant. But she says anyone can build a net-zero home if they hire a contractor who has experience with energy-efficient houses. In their home, the couple and their builders installed electric appliances like an induction stove and a heat pump instead of a gas stove or furnace. They insulated the house tightly to save on heating and ... |
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What are fuel cell EVs? - Apr 24, 2024 Yale Climate Connections - Transportation |
| Stay in the know about climate impacts and solutions. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Yale Climate Connections Most electric vehicles on the road today are powered by batteries. But battery EVs are not the only EVs. Fuel cell EVs run on hydrogen gas, which mixes with oxygen in a chemical reaction to create electricity. The hydrogen is stored in a tank on board the vehicle. Terry: “So it’s very much like gassing up a car right now, in that you pull into a station, you attach a nozzle, this time for a high-pressure gas as opposed to a liquid, and you refuel in a matter of minutes.” Seth Terry is co-founder of New Day Hydrogen, a startup that’s developing hydrogen fueling stations, which remain rare outside California. He says fuel cell vehicles have some advantages over battery EVs - especially for trucking. Fueling up is quicker than charging, the vehicles can go several hundred miles on a tank, and they’re not weighed down by ... |
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44% of Latinos live in U.S. counties with a high flood risk - Apr 23, 2024 Yale Climate Connections - Policy |
| Stay in the know about climate impacts and solutions. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Yale Climate Connections In recent years, many U.S. residents have endured devastating floods. But a new report from the nonprofits Headwaters Economics and Hispanic Access Foundation warns that Latino communities in the states are especially at risk. The authors found that 44% of Latinos live in counties with a high flood risk, compared to just 35% of non-Latinos. What’s more, Latino residents often face other challenges like language barriers and high housing costs, which can make floods even more harmful. Hernandez: “A third of Latinos live in flood-prone communities with unaffordable housing. And that can obviously create a lot of stress when floods occur and destroy some of the only affordable housing in a community.” Patty Hernandez is with Headwaters Economics. She says it’s critical to not just address flooding but also to address these ... |
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What are virtual power plants? - Apr 22, 2024 Yale Climate Connections - Energy |
| Stay in the know about climate impacts and solutions. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Yale Climate Connections For decades, electricity has been produced at large power plants and then sent to homes and businesses. But as rooftop solar and other renewable sources expand, energy can be generated all over. Nemtzow: “For the first time, we can take distributed energy resources, which have been around for many years, but we can organize them to act like power plants.” David Nemtzow is with the U.S. Department of Energy. A so-called virtual power plant can be operated by a traditional utility. It can include solar panels, car batteries, WiFi-enabled devices like thermostats, and more, all linked together in a network. This allows the utility to manage these resources together to balance the overall supply and demand of energy. When more energy is produced than needed, cars can charge up and air conditioners can run full-blast. But ... |
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A third of U.S. adults are interested in cutting back on meat, report finds - Apr 19, 2024 Yale Climate Connections - Agriculture |
| Stay in the know about climate impacts and solutions. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Yale Climate Connections About a third of U.S. adults say they’re interested in reducing the amount of meat they eat, even if they’re not planning to become vegetarian or vegan. Turow-Paul: “Which is a really exciting finding because it’s showing that food culture is beginning to bend in a more sustainable direction.” Eve Turow-Paul is founder and executive director of the Food for Climate League. The nonprofit partnered on a recent report about people’s eating habits and attitudes about “plant-forward” diets. Turow-Paul: “Plants are really at the forefront of the meal. And meat or other animal products such as dairy, butter are going to be playing a supporting role to the plants. And by plants … we’re not just talking about leafy greens, we’re talking about whole grains, nuts, seeds, legumes. It runs the whole gamut.” According to the ... |
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Data-driven music: Converting climate measurements into music - Apr 18, 2024 PHYS.ORG - Earth |
| A geo-environmental scientist from Japan has composed a string quartet using sonified climate data. The 6-minute-long composition - titled "String Quartet No. 1 "Polar Energy Budget" - is based on over 30 years of satellite-collected climate data from the Arctic and Antarctic and aims to garner attention on how climate is driven by the input and output of energy at the poles. The backstory about how the composition was put together is published April 18 in the journal iScience as part of a collection "Exploring the Art-Science Connection." "I strongly hope that this manuscript marks a significant turning point, transitioning from an era where only scientists handle data to one where artists can freely leverage data to craft their works," writes author and composer Hiroto Nagai, a geo-environmental scientist at Rissho University. Scientist-composer Hiroto Nagai asserts that music, as opposed to sound, evokes an emotional response and posits that "musification" ... |
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Exchange program make EV ownership more affordable for low-income Colorado residents - Apr 18, 2024 Yale Climate Connections - Policy |
| In a webinar on April 19, we'll explore how climate organizations are currently using storytelling in their work, the impacts of these stories, and lessons learned from other movements. Stay in the know about climate impacts and solutions. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Yale Climate Connections A Colorado program is helping more low-income residents afford EVs. Atiyeh: “We don’t want price to be a barrier to any Coloradan being able to enjoy the benefits of an electric vehicle.” Carrie Atiyeh is with the Colorado Energy Office. Her team has rolled out the Vehicle Exchange Colorado program. It offers instant rebates of $6,000 for a new EV or $4,000 for a used one to residents who turn in an old gas or diesel-powered vehicle to be recycled. To qualify, participants can earn no more than 80% of the area median income. The vehicle must be drivable and at least 12 years old or have failed a Colorado emissions test. Atiyeh: “We ... |
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What is a passive house? - Apr 17, 2024 Yale Climate Connections - Energy |
| In a webinar on April 19, we'll explore how climate organizations are currently using storytelling in their work, the impacts of these stories, and lessons learned from other movements. Stay in the know about climate impacts and solutions. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Yale Climate Connections A well-insulated, airtight thermos or cooler can keep your coffee warm - or your water cold - all day. So-called passive houses are not all that different. Like a thermos, they’re designed to keep heat from entering or escaping. So their design focuses on what’s called a building’s envelope - the walls, windows, roof, and foundation that separate the inside from the outside elements. Klingenberg: “Good insulation, making a building airtight. … We also want windows that can keep out the solar radiation in warm climates and bring it in in cold climates.” Katrin Klingenberg is co-founder of Passive House Institute U.S. The nonprofit certifies ... |
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Schools in coal country are going solar - Apr 16, 2024 Yale Climate Connections - Energy |
| In a webinar on April 19, we'll explore how climate organizations are currently using storytelling in their work, the impacts of these stories, and lessons learned from other movements. Stay in the know about climate impacts and solutions. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Yale Climate Connections Deep in the heart of coal country, schools in Wayne County, West Virginia, are going solar. Conant: “The schools, they don’t have to pay for the equipment. They don’t have to pay for the panels, the labor. Instead, Solar Holler pays for all of that up front.” Dan Conant is the founder and CEO of Solar Holler. The West Virginia-based solar developer has partnered with Wayne County Public Schools on what’s known as a power purchase agreement. Solar Holler will pay to install thousands of solar panels on school district buildings. And the district has agreed to buy the electricity produced by those panels for 25 years at a ... |
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How expectant parents can prepare for extreme weather - Apr 15, 2024 Yale Climate Connections - Health |
| In a webinar on April 19, we'll explore how climate organizations are currently using storytelling in their work, the impacts of these stories, and lessons learned from other movements. Stay in the know about climate impacts and solutions. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Yale Climate Connections Expectant parents may spend months preparing to give birth - developing a relationship with a doctor or midwife, arranging a babysitter for other children when it’s time, and mapping the best route to the hospital. But during an extreme weather disaster, things may not go as planned. Smith-Johnson: “So I would suggest for people to start now doing their due diligence of knowing what-if situations.” Tanya Smith-Johnson works with the Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition of Hawaii, a maternal care nonprofit. And she’s a certified professional midwife. She suggests that pregnant people identify friends and family who can serve as backup ... |
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How to prepare your finances for an extreme weather disaster - Apr 10, 2024 Yale Climate Connections - Economic |
| In a webinar on April 19, we'll explore how climate organizations are currently using storytelling in their work, the impacts of these stories, and lessons learned from other movements. Stay in the know about climate impacts and solutions. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Yale Climate Connections During an extreme weather disaster, your home could suffer costly damage and your place of work could close for weeks or months. There’s no way to make it easy, but you can take steps now to make your financial recovery smoother. Before extreme weather is in the forecast, make sure your insurance coverage is up to date. And take photos of the rooms in your house so you can more easily make claims for items that are damaged or destroyed. It’s a good idea to print out information about bank accounts, bills, and loans, so you can make payments and communicate with lenders. Store these records where you can access them quickly. If possible, ... |
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Want a climate-friendly home? You might need a new breaker box. - Apr 05, 2024 Yale Climate Connections - Energy |
| In a webinar on April 19, we'll explore how climate organizations are currently using storytelling in their work, the impacts of these stories, and lessons learned from other movements. Stay in the know about climate impacts and solutions. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Yale Climate Connections Many people are replacing their old, fossil-fuel-powered furnaces and gas stoves with new electric heat pumps and induction stoves. But some hit a snag when they find out that their home’s electrical panel, or breaker box, cannot handle all the extra electricity they’ll need. Fowler: “That’s when you realize, oh, I need a little more juice.” Eric Fowler is with the nonprofit Fresh Energy, which advocates for clean energy in Minnesota. Fowler: “We want folks to be able to have the option to even consider those electric alternatives. But you can’t do that if you’re already hitting up against the maximum amount of electricity that your ... |
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A nemesis of clams is thriving as Maine's waters warm - Apr 04, 2024 Yale Climate Connections |
| In a webinar on April 19, we'll explore how climate organizations are currently using storytelling in their work, the impacts of these stories, and lessons learned from other movements. Stay in the know about climate impacts and solutions. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Yale Climate Connections For decades, the clammers of coastal Maine have woken up, put on their boots, and waded into the cold waters of the Atlantic to dig for soft-shell clams. Clamming requires no special equipment, so it’s allowed generations of Mainers to work in the fishing industry without investing in expensive boats or gear. Randall: “You use the strength of your own body to make a living.” But Sara Randall, a researcher with the Downeast Institute, says the clammers’ way of life is in trouble. As the climate changes, temperatures in the Gulf of Maine are rising faster than in most of the world’s oceans. The warmer water allows invasive green crabs to thrive. |
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